Natural phosphate rock has been extensively mined, particularly in the State of Florida, and converted into a useful fertilizer. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 630,395; 740,731 and 1,901,221. This mining activity has resulted in thousands of acres being wasted in the form of presently existing phosphate slime settling ponds which have defied drainage as well as use of the waste as land fill.
An investigation of the patented art failed to locate disclosures specifically concerned with the problem involved in the pumping and processing of phosphate slime in settling ponds. However, a great deal of research has been devoted to the dewatering of phosphate slimes. Reference is made to the January 1973-February 1977 Technical Status Report on the subject of Dewatering of Phosphatic Clay Wastes by the Center for Research in Mining and Mineral Resources, Department of Materials, Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.